AxialBearing Characteristics of Disc-shaped Friction Elements in Shifting Clutch

The disc-shaped buckling deformation of friction elements can lead to severe failure of the wet multi-disc shifting clutch. A numerical model and a finite element model for the axial bearing of friction pairs are established to investigate the influences of different degrees of buckling on the axial bearing characteristics of clutch friction elements. The axial bearing characteristics are characterized by the axial reaction force and equivalent stiffness of the friction pairs. The influences of buckling height and position characteristics of steel plate on the axial bearing characteristics and radial contact pressure distribution characteristics of the clutch are studied, and the reliability of the models is verified through experiments. The results indicate that the disc-shaped steel plate has a critical buckling height of 2.59mm. Below this value, the restoring force increases monotonically with the deformation, while a negative stiffness occurs above this value. The axial bearing process of multiple friction pairs exhibits distinct stage characteristics. The position characteristics of steel plates with different buckling heights have little effect on the axial bearing characteristics, but the steel plates exceeding the critical value will accelerate wear and lead to functional failure.